Standard demographic research has typically constrained the existence of identity fluidity, assuming that demographic categories such as race or ethnicity and sex or gender should be static across the life course and measuring them as such. However, recent research and changes in data collection practices highlight the limitations of this approach by demonstrating fluidity in both racial and gender identities that rivals levels of fluidity in other identity categories, such as sexual orientation, that are more commonly seen as changeable over time. This review examines what is known about current levels of fluidity in gender, sexual orientation, and racial identities as well as known correlates and consequences for research on inequality, based primarily but not exclusively on research conducted in the United States. The implications of fluid identities for data collection and analysis, as well as prospects for future levels of fluidity, are also discussed.

中文翻译：

---

认识人口统计研究中的身份流动性


标准的人口统计研究通常限制了身份流动性的存在，假设诸如种族或族裔、性别或性别等人口统计类别在整个生命过程中应该是静态的，并以此来衡量它们。然而，最近的研究和数据收集实践的变化突显了这种方法的局限性，因为种族和性别身份的流动性与其他身份类别（例如性取向）的流动性水平相媲美，而性取向通常被视为随着时间的推移而变化。本综述主要基于但不完全基于在美国进行的研究，探讨了目前性别、性取向和种族身份流动性的已知水平，以及不平等研究的已知相关性和后果。还讨论了流体特性对数据收集和分析的影响，以及未来流动性水平的前景。